This is a first for France and probably for Europe as well. To deal with street safety in some areas of the city, Saint-Étienne has decided to bring in a completely new system: installing bugs in the streets. Fifty sound sensors will be set up in the Tarentaize-Beaubrun-Couriot district.
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Surveillance cameras have already been installed in this neighbourhood in La Loire region of France.
‘People should not be worried. We’re not going to spy on them,’ said a local city councillor. They claim that these objects will be installed for people’s peace of mind, or rather their safety.
The size of a £2 coin
The bugs will not be able to pick up all conversations. They will only be triggered by suspicious sounds such as loud noises, crying or breaking glass. French media have explained that these alerts will be then sent to the Serenicity digital platform, that will send this information to the local police. Law enforcement will then locate where the incident is, and a team will be dispatched. The media also claims that a police officer will stay at the supervision centre whilst all this is going on, to be able to follow and track the assailant should they try and escape.
The first bugs, that will be no bigger than a £2 coin, will be installed from the beginning of March. They will need to placed high up so that they can capture the sounds as best they can.
Take a look at the video above for more...
